Solvation, thermodynamics, and structure of biological macromolecules


T-12 contributes to Los Alamos efforts in the molecular biophysics and structural biology by developing and applying statistical mechanical theories of hydration of biological macromolecules and molecular assemblies in aqueous solution. These solvation phenomenon are typically categorized as either hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Hydrophobic effects are associated with solutes or solute fragments that interact, generically, with water molecules through van der Waals interactions. The noble gases and the simple alkanes, all sparingly soluble in water, are examples of primitive hydrophobic solutes. Hydrophilic solute interactions with water molecules typically include either classic electrostatic or specific chemical interactions. Examples are ammonia, formaldehyde, and peptides.

T-12 staff member Lawrence Pratt works on these problems in collaboration with Gerhard Hummer and T-10 staff member Angel García.

The viewgraphs (as pdf files) for some recent presentations follow. This permits the audience access to the slides before the talk and probably not all the slides would be shown.

Some research papers:


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